In 1992 my friend and I took our daughters to a tuition centre in Ilford for about three months. After some time both children were constantly telling us that the class wasn’t helping them as they did not do any teaching but gave papers to practice and during the following week they marked the paper and gave it back without any explanation or answers to the questions. My friend and I both felt this was not beneficial for our children and considered if we could provide them with a better learning experience ourselves, which would be more locally placed.

So we decided to hire two teachers, one for English and one for mathematics. Verbal and non verbal reasoning were taught by a parent. In 1993 we started with four students and all four passed the 11+ examinations. Once the results were out other parents requested us to carry on for the benefit of their children.

During the following year another ten students started the tuition centre and eight of the students passed the 11+ examination that year. One got a scholarship in Eltham College and has gone on to study biomedical Science, one got a scholarship at Bromley High and went on to study Medicine and is now a GP, one got a scholarship at Blackheath High and went on to study Pharmacy and one got into Newstead Wood and went on to study Dentistry.

This outcome facilitated the expansion of the tuition centre and the following year many more students joined the class and out of those 90% were successful in their 11+ exams, entering into either selective grammar schools or private schools and securing scholarships. The remaining children all went on to do well in their respective schools having improved their basic academic foundations with the help of our classes.

We have never advertised and only ever signed children up to our classes via word of mouth. Eventually, word spread and it was noted by parents in the local areas that the majority of the students at our centre passed the 11+ exam in Bexley and Dartford. In addition to that many students also achieved scholarships in Private schools such as Bromley High, Blackheath High, Eltham College and Old Palace and passed the St. Olaves and Newstead Wood exams.

Due to our continuing success people started bringing their children from all over Kent. One parent drove from Colchester to our centre and their child secured a place in the Royal Grammar School in Colchester, Essex. This student is now studying medicine in Glasgow. More than 50 of our students are working in the medical field; many more are working in Engineering, Banking, Law, Accountancy and Management Consultancy.

We are extremely proud of our alumni and continue to receive calls and messages of gratitude from parents who feel our classes have helped their children achieve their full potential. This was our aim from the beginning and we continue to strive to improve and evolve our method to enable our students.